


Toothache of the (Angel of the) Lord

by linasane



Category: Supernatural
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-15
Updated: 2014-07-15
Packaged: 2018-02-08 23:05:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1959519
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/linasane/pseuds/linasane
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Aka Castiel versus the dentist.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Toothache of the (Angel of the) Lord

Dean watches from across the table as Cas sticks a finger in his own mouth, shifting it around curiously.  Now, Cas has developed some odd habits since he became human, but this isn’t one of them.  Still, Dean figures, he’s a weird little dude, so he doesn’t say anything.  He just sits in silence and watches the former angel prod at his own teeth with his fingers and his tongue.

But when Cas takes a sip of ice water and proceeds to stare at the glass as if it’s personally offended him, Dean realizes that there might actually be a problem.

“Cas,” he says, “What’s up, buddy?”

The other man mumbles something out around the two fingers he’s currently got in his mouth.

Dean just cocks an eyebrow and stares until Cas rolls his eyes and repeats himself.

“Something is wrong with my teeth,” he says, irritated, before sticking his fingers back in.

And that’s how Dean ends up taking a (former) angel of the lord to the dentist for the first time.

* * *

Everything seems to be going smoothly at first.  Cas goes in, and Dean sits in the waiting room resisting the urge to shoot out the speakers pumping elevator music into the small space.

And then Cas comes out looking like he’s about to smite the whole building.  He storms past Dean, who throws an apologetic look at the receptionist before hurrying to follow his friend out the door.

“Whoa,” he says when he finally manages to catch up, stopping the other man with a hand on his shoulder and turning him around so they’re face to face, “What the hell happened in there, man?”

“I do not like the dentist,” Castiel grinds out before tearing out of Dean’s grasp and striding angrily towards the Impala.

Dean manages to get at least some of the story on the way back to the bunker, how the assistant was trying to scrape Cas’s gums clear out of his mouth, and how the dentist claims he has three cavities because he doesn’t floss, but  _I will not be going back there, Dean_.

He can’t really fault the guy.  The few times he’s been into dentists’ offices since he was a kid have not exactly been pleasant experiences.  And it’s not like he and Sam are the greatest examples of oral hygiene.  So Dean decides to just let Cas be on the whole teeth front.

* * *

It’s clear a week later that ignoring the problem isn’t going to work.

They’re sitting in a diner in their fed suits, and Dean’s watching as Cas chews his food gingerly, a scowl on his face the entire time.  He doesn’t even go near the hot cup of coffee in front of him, even though it’s been a long ass day and he looks like he could use the caffeine.

“Dude,” Dean says finally, “You really need to go get those cavities filled.”

Castiel shoots him a look so deadly that Dean honest to god flinches, but he presses on.

“Come on, Cas,” he says, “You can’t even take a proper bite of your burger.  And it’s only gonna get worse.  You might as well take care of it before your teeth start falling out of your head.”

Cas’s expression turns to one of horror then, and Dean feels kindof bad for making him think he’d actually lose his teeth, but if it makes him actually get the damn things fixed, then it’s worth it.

* * *

Sure enough, Cas lets Dean drag him back to the dentist’s office a few days later.

As they sit and wait for Cas to be called in, Dean watches his friend get more and more nervous.

“You really hate the dentist that much, Cas?” he can’t help but ask.

Castiel just nods, a tight, aborted movement.  The guy is clearly a nervous wreck.

“Tell you what,” Dean says, laying a hand on Cas’s knee, which is bouncing up and down with increasing frequency, “What if I go back there with you?  Would that help?”

The wide-eyed, pleading look Cas turns on him gives Dean his answer, and fifteen minutes later, Dean’s sitting in a dentist’s office for the first time in years.

Granted, he’s not the one looking pale and terrified in the chair, but he’d be lying if he said this place didn’t set him on edge.

Cas, though, looks  _beyond_  anxious, fidgeting around where he’s reclined in the chair.  The dentist hasn’t even done anything to him yet – he’s just explaining what will happen – but Cas already looks ready to bolt.

It hurts Dean to see his friend so scared, the once powerful angel terrified of one man.  It hurts him that he can’t do anything to fix this for Cas.

But when the other man starts wringing his hands, knuckles white and cracking, he does the best he can.

Dean reaches out and takes hold of Castiel’s hand, and wide blue eyes turn to stare at him questioningly.

“Relax, Cas,” Dean says, “You’re gonna be fine.  I’m right here, okay?”

The other man nods and continues to keep his eyes locked on Deans until the dentist prompts him to turn back towards the ceiling.  But he doesn’t drop Dean’s hand.  If anything, he squeezes tighter.

* * *

By the end of the appointment, Dean’s lost feeling in some of his fingers from Cas’s unrelenting grip, but he doesn’t let go. Not once.

He doesn’t let go when the dentist tells Cas he’s done, instead he uses their joined hands to help pull his friend up from the chair.

He doesn’t let go as they go to pay the receptionist, although he does have to suppress a laugh at the way Cas pokes at his numbed lips.

He does let go when they climb into the Impala, only to rejoin their hands once they’re settled in the front seat.  If Cas thinks it’s weird that they’re still holding hands, he doesn’t say anything.

Cas still hasn’t said a word by the time they get to the bunker, still a bit out of it from the whole ordeal and the pain, so Dean just tugs him inside and gets him settled on one of the couches in the library.

“You gonna be okay, buddy?” he asks.  When Cas nods, Dean moves to get up, but Cas doesn’t let go of his hand.  “You want me to stay with you for a bit?” Dean asks, and the other man nods again, so Dean settles himself down onto the couch next to his friend.

They sit in a calm silence for a while, the constant physical contact relaxing both of them as Dean mindlessly strokes his thumb over the back of Cas’s hand.  It should be weird, he thinks, but somehow it’s just comfortable, so he decides not to question it and allows himself to enjoy the quiet of this moment.

Slowly, Castiel leans into Dean, head coming to rest on his shoulder.  For Dean, it seems the most natural thing in the world to turn his head and press a kiss into the other man’s hair.  When Cas sits up a bit to look at Dean curiously, Dean doesn’t even think twice before leaning in and pressing a second kiss to the other man’s lips.

Cas’s expression darkens, and Dean immediately realizes he’s made a mistake.  He pulls away from his friend and gets to damage control.

“Shit, Cas, I’m so sorry.  I didn’t mean to—” he cuts off abruptly as he fully takes in the look on the other man’s face and realizes it isn’t quite the furious anger he expected. His brow is furrowed, yes, but his lower lip is also sticking out just the tiniest bit, and it looks like the former angel is…pouting.

“Cas,” Dean says cautiously, “What’s wrong?”

“You kissed me,” Cas says, and Dean sucks in a nervous breath, bracing for the worst.  But then Cas continues, “And I couldn’t even feel it!”

The joy that Dean feels at knowing Cas wanted to kiss him too, combined with Cas’s sad face and whining tone, has Dean unable to stop himself from bursting out into laughter.

After a minute, though, he catches sight of the now annoyed look on the other man’s face and instantly sobers.

Dean leans back in towards Cas and wraps an arm around him, reaching up with his free hand to cup his former angel’s stubbly cheek.

“Then I guess I’ll just have to keep doing it until you can,” he says and proceeds to do just that.


End file.
